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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA

LAEL BROWN, LAVERNE WRIGHT-OCHOA,

CHARLES BROWNE and ROBERT WRIGHT
Plaintiffs,
v.

//

CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:10CV110

(Judge Keeley)

ANTHONY PARTIPILO, TODD TERRY and

AMERICA'S CRIMINAL DEFENSE GROUP,
a Professional Law Corporation,
Defendants.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS (DKT. 3)

The defendants in this case, Anthony Partipilo (Partipilo),
Todd

Terry

(Terry),

and

Americas

Criminal

Defense

Group

(ACDG), filed a motion to dismiss, relying on Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 12(b)(3) and a forum selection clause in their
contract with the plaintiffs, Lael Brown (Brown), Laverne WrightOchoa (Wright-Ochoa), Charles Browne (Browne1), and Robert
Wright (Wright). Because the defendants an attorney, his law
firm, and its agent failed in their professional duty to explain
the

forum

selection

clause

to

their

clients,

and

because

enforcement of the provision would offend strong principles of

public policy of the State of West Virginia, the Court DENIES the
motion to dismiss (dkt. 3).

Charles Browne spells his surname with an e, while his son,

Lael Brown, does not.

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I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
In 2006, authorities charged Lael Brown with several felonies,
including burglary, distribution of marijuana, and threatening a
police officer, in the Circuit Court of Monongalia County, West
Virginia (circuit court). Brown, who had recently moved to
Monongalia County from New York City with his father, Charles
Browne, qualified for court-appointed counsel. The circuit court
appointed Cheryl Warman (Warman), a member of the West Virginia
State Bar, to represent Brown. Warman and Brown reached a plea
agreement with the state, and the circuit court scheduled a plea
hearing for June 18, 2008.
Prior

to

that

hearing,

however,

Browns

mother,

Laverne

Wright-Ochoa, sought to retain counsel for her son. From her home
in New York, she discovered the website of ACDG. As it still does
today, ACDGs website advertised that the firm was nationwide and
provided criminal defense in all fifty states and the District of
Columbia.2 ACDGs website does not list a mailing or physical
address, soliciting contact only through email or a toll-free
telephone number. In reality, ACDG is a California firm and

Http://www.americascriminaldefense.com/html/about.html (last
visited Oct. 7, 2010)(With attorneys throughout the nation,
America's Criminal Defense Group is able to provide personal legal
representation wherever you live.).
2

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Partipilo, its Managing Director, is a member of the California
Bar.3
After Wright-Ochoa contacted ACDG and spoke with Todd Terry,
its non-attorney Case Manager, the firm offered to represent Brown
in exchange for a nonrefundable flat fee of $27,900. Browne,
Wright-Ochoa, and Robert Wright (Wright-Ochoas father and Lael
Browns grandfather) pooled their funds to pay this fee and retain
ACDG. ACDG then sent copies of a retainer agreement to all three.
Wright signed one copy of the contract, Wright-Ochoa another.
Charles Browne apparently never signed his copy of the contract,
but did initial numerous provisions and authorized several payments
from his credit card.

Lael Brown never signed the contract.

Instead, the signature line for the criminal defendant reads In

Custody.
On June 18, 2008, the scheduled date of Browns plea hearing,
ACDG contacted Warman to advise her that it had been retained to
represent Brown. Further, ACDGs representative instructed Warman
to request a continuance as its counsel had a prior engagement in

See Lane v. W. Va. State Bd. of Law Examiners, 295 S.E.2d 670
(W. Va. 1982)(denying admission to practice without examination to
California attorney on grounds that admission requirements in
California are not substantially the same as West Virginias
standards, specifically California provisions allowing study at
unaccredited or correspondence schools).
3

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federal court that day. Warman confirmed with Brown that he desired
the representation secured by his mother, and, on Warmans request,
the circuit court continued the case.
Also on June 18, ACDG entered into a contract with John Brooks
(Brooks), an attorney practicing in Monongalia County. Under this
Of Counsel agreement, Brooks would represent Brown in association
with ACDG. Brooks had apparently never worked with ACDG before. He
took over the case, however, reached a plea agreement with the
state,

and

received

approximately

$5,400

from

ACDG

for

his

services. ACDG never entered an appearance in the case, nor did

Brooks make a pro hac vice motion on behalf of Partipilo or any
other attorney from ACDG. See West Virginia Supreme Court of
Appeals, Rule 8.0, Admission pro hac vice, Rules for Admission to
the Practice of Law (1989)(as amended).4 Furthermore, Brooks never
entered

into

separate

contract

with

Brown

or

any

of

his

relatives.5

Http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca/Bd of Law/lawprac.htm.

Brooks is not a party to this case, but his agreement to

serve as ACDGs co-counsel clearly created an attorney-client
relationship with Brown. His professional obligations, therefore,
were no less firmly established than the defendants.
4

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II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
The plaintiffs filed this action in the circuit court. The
defendants removed the case to this Court on diversity grounds.
Jurisdiction is proper as all plaintiffs are diverse from all
defendants, and, based on the contractual and negligence claims
asserted and the plaintiffs demand for punitive damages, the
amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.
The complaint asserts four causes of action. First, the
plaintiffs claim that ACDGs website and the statements by Terry to
Wright-Ochoa fraudulently induced them into signing the contract,
and contained material falsehoods about the nature of ACDGs
business operations and its potential representation of Lael Brown.
Second,

they

assert

that

the

defendants

breached

their

contract by not providing a team of experienced attorneys as

promised and not pursuing a jury trial. Instead, they allege,
Brooks reached the same plea agreement offered to Warman.
Third, they seek recovery of the fees paid to ACDG on the
grounds that the charges were unreasonable under the West Virginia
Rules of Professional Conduct. They further allege that the fees in
this case were so unconscionable as to support an award of their
attorneys fees and costs in this civil case.

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Finally,

the

plaintiffs

allege

that

the

representation

provided by ACDG was negligent. Specifically, they contend that the

defendants neglected their duty to investigate the case, to advise
and consult with Brooks, and to raise a mental illness defense or
mitigation argument.
The defendants seek dismissal of this action based on a choice
of law and forum selection clause in the contract. Specifically,
the contract provides that the agreement shall be interpreted
under the laws of the state of California and jurisdiction and
venue shall be exclusively in the county of Los Angeles in the
state of California. (Dkt. 4-3 at 2.)6
III. CHOICE OF VENUE BY PARTIES AGREEMENT
In general, parties may agree to reasonable venue provisions
in a contract. See Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., 679 S.E.2d
223, 235 (W. Va. 2008)(While forum-selection clauses historically
were disfavored, such is no longer the case, so long as the clause
is fair and reasonable[.])(revd on other grounds, 129 S.Ct. 2252
(2009)). The parties agree that, whether analyzed under West

Except as noted, the Court does not address whether

Californias substantive law will apply to the merits of this case.
However, to the extent that the defendants seek to evade the laws
and rules regulating attorneys in this state, they will find no
protection in this Court.
6

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Virginia, California, or federal law, the enforceability of a
choice of venue provision is subject to substantially identical
analysis. See Sheldon v. Hart, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1602, *6
(N.D.W.

Va.

Jan.

8,

2010)(noting

inconsistent

Fourth

Circuit

precedent on choice of law question, but that test and result are
identical

under

either

West

Virginia

or

federal

law)(reconsideration denied, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28769 (N.D.W.Va.

Mar. 25, 2010)).7
First,
clause,8

if

courts
it

presume

covers

all

that
of

mandatory

the

forum

plaintiffs

selection

claims,

is

presumptively enforceable. Allen v. Lloyds of London, 94 F.3d 923,

928 (4th Cir. 1996). If the claims are covered by the clause, a
court should invalidate such agreements only
if (1) their formation was induced by fraud or
overreaching; (2) the complaining party will for all
practical purposes be deprived of his day in court
because of the grave inconvenience or unfairness of the
selected forum; (3) the fundamental unfairness of the
chosen law may deprive the plaintiff of a remedy; or (4)

In Sheldon, this Court upheld a clause requiring a patient

to bring her suit in Germany, where, according to the facts in the
case, she had traveled to undergo back surgery.
8

Unlike the contract language in this case, some forum

selection clauses merely provide the opportunity to litigate in a
chosen jurisdiction, without restricting suits elsewhere. These are
known as permissive, rather than mandatory, forum selection
clauses. Caperton, 679 S.E.2d at 237.
7

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their enforcement would contravene a strong public policy
of the forum state.
Id. (citing Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute, 499 U.S. 585, 595
(1991); The Bremen v. Zapata Off-Shore Co., 407 U.S. 1, 92 (1972)).
In considering a motion under Rule 12(b)(3) based on a forum
selection clause, the Court may freely consider evidence outside
the pleadings. Sucampo Pharms., Inc., v. Astellas Pharma, Inc.,
471 F.3d 544, 550 (4th Cir. 2006).
West Virginia has adopted the test set forth by the Second
Circuit in Phillips v. Audio Active Limited, 494 F.3d 378 (2d Cir.
2007):
Determining whether to dismiss a claim based on a
forum[-]selection clause involves a four-part analysis.
The first inquiry is whether the clause was reasonably
communicated to the party resisting enforcement.... The
second step requires [classification of] the clause as
mandatory or permissive, i.e., ... whether the parties
are required to bring any dispute to the designated forum
or [are] simply permitted to do so. [The third query]
asks whether the claims and parties involved in the suit
are subject to the forum selection clause....
If the [forum-selection] clause was communicated to the
resisting party, has mandatory force and covers the
claims and parties involved in the dispute, it is
presumptively enforceable.... The fourth, and final, step
is to ascertain whether the resisting party has rebutted
the
presumption
of
enforceability
by
making
a
sufficiently strong showing that enforcement would be
unreasonable [and] unjust, or that the clause was invalid
for such reasons as fraud or overreaching.

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Caperton, 679 S.E.2d at 236 (quoting in full Phillips, 494 F.3d at
383-84)(alterations in original). The first factor whether the
clause was adequately communicated to the party seeking to avoid
its effect has special relevance in this case, where the contract
was drafted and solicited by an attorney who holds a duty to
explain the provisions of such an agreement to his potential
client.
IV. ANALYSIS
A.

The forum selection

plaintiffs claims.
The

plaintiffs

argue

clause

that,

is

mandatory

despite

its

and

covers

relatively

the

broad

language, the forum selection clause does not cover all the claims
of all the plaintiffs. They argue that, because Lael Brown and
Charles Browne never signed the contract, its provisions are
unenforceable against them.
However, Lael Brown was the intended beneficiary of the
contract, and thus subject to its terms. See Watkins v. M/V LONDON
SENATOR, 112 F.Supp.2d 511, 520 (E.D.Va. 2000)(citing TAAG Linhas
Aereas de Angola v. Transamerica Airlines, Inc., 915 F.2d 1351,
1354 (9th Cir. 1990); 4 Corbin on Contracts 819, p. 277 (1951)).
Similarly, although Charles Brownes signature does not appear on
the final page of the parties agreement, he initialed several

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provisions and authorized payments from his credit card. Clearly,
as the plaintiffs admit, he manifested his assent to the agreement,
and thus is bound by its terms. See Restatement (Second) of
Contracts 50 (1981). Indeed, as the defendants note, if he were
not bound by the contract he would have no right to recover under
it.
The clear language of the contract at issue establishes that
exclusive jurisdiction would be vested in the courts of California.
Accordingly, the clause is a mandatory, not permissive, forum
selection provision.
Finally, although the plaintiffs assert claims in tort and
contract, all of their causes of action arise from the formation
and performance of the agreement. Accordingly, there can be no
colorable debate that the mandatory forum selection clause applies
to the entirety of the complaint.
B. The forum selection clause was not procured through fraud.
The plaintiffs argue that the clause must be disregarded
because ACDG and its agents fraudulently induced them into the
agreement.

The

defendants

correctly

note

that,

for

forum

selection clause to be invalid for fraud, the clause itself, not

the agreement, must have been so nefariously obtained. Scherk v.
Alberto-Culver Co., 417 U.S. 506, 519 (1974); Sheldon, 2010 U.S.
10

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Dist. LEXIS 1602 at *5. Although the plaintiffs argue that the
clause was inadequately explained to them, see IV-B, infra, they
produce no evidence that the defendants actively misrepresented or
concealed the provision. Accordingly, the Court will not set the
clause aside on this basis.
C. Litigation in California would not deny the plaintiffs a remedy.
Nor may the Court disregard the forum selection clause based
on the second or third Allen factors. Although bringing suit in Los
Angeles might prove difficult or more expensive for the plaintiffs,
they do not set forth any specific reasons why such a restriction
would for all practical purposes deny them the chance to pursue
their claims. The Bremen, 407 U.S. at 18. Mere inconvenience will
not suffice to invalidate a forum selection clause. See Baker v.
Adidas

America,

Inc.,

2009)(unpublished)(holding
agreement

to

litigate

in

335
North

Fed.Appx.
Carolina

Amsterdam).

Nor

356
college
do

the

(4th
student

Cir.
to

plaintiffs

establish that Californias substantive law is so unfair as to deny

them a remedy.
D.

The defendants failed to adequately communicate the nature of

the forum selection clause to the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs argue that the language of the forum selection

and choice of law provisions in their contract is not sufficiently

11

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clear to put a lay reader on notice that he would be barred from
bringing suit anywhere outside of California. Further, they argue
that, unlike several other provisions in the contract, the forum
selection clause did not require the signer to place his initials
beside that paragraph. Finally, they contend that, in the context
of an attorney-client contract, the lawyer has a professional
obligation to ensure that his potential client fully understands
each provision.
The provision is not inherently misleading, nor is it set in
less conspicuous text than the remainder of the contract. It is
not, however, written in the type of plain English that a lawyer
could reasonably assume any criminal defendant or his family would
understand without explanation. The words jurisdiction and venue,
while not ambiguous, are not in common usage outside of the legal
world. Moreover, the apparent failure of any ACDG attorney to
explain the contract and the plaintiffs averments that none of
them understood the provisions consequences supports a conclusion
that

the

provision

was

not

adequately

communicated

to

the

plaintiffs. Under the first element of Caperton, therefore, the

clause must be set aside.
When negotiating a contract for representation, an attorney
necessarily has a conflict of interest. The lawyer is desirous of
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fair compensation for his services, but must keep in mind that,
even at the outset of the relationship, he is also his clients
fiduciary. Thus, the lawyer must carefully ensure that the client
understands the nature of the contract and the representation. See
Restatement (3d) of the Law Governing Lawyers, 18, cmt. d (2000)
([The] law protects clients who enter into such contracts)(citing
Restatement (2d) of Agency, 390, cmt. e (1958)([I]n the case of
attorney and client, the creation of the relation involves peculiar
trust and confidence, with reliance by the principal upon fair
dealing by the agent[.] . . . [T]he attorney is under a duty to
deal fairly with the principal in arranging the terms of the
employment.)).
In Falk & Fish, L.L.P. v. Pinkstons Lawnmower and Equipment,
Inc., 317 S.W.3d 523 (Tex.App-Dallas, July 20, 2010), the Texas
Court of Appeals invalidated a forum selection clause in a contract
between a Texas law firm and North Carolina business. In the
contract, the firm inserted the following language: [y]ou agree
our relationship and our agreement is controlled by Texas law, and
the applicable courts of Dallas, Texas shall be the for a [sic] for
all

attorney-client

disputes.

Id.

at

526-537

(brackets

and

modifications in orginal). The words for a apparently were

intended to read forum, or perhaps the plural fora. The Court
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held that the law firm was required to explain the contract and any
provisions diverging from a reasonable clients expectations. Id.
at 529 (quoting Restatement (3d) of the Law Governing Lawyers, 18
cmt. h.). An attorneys obligations when negotiating his contract
are different from any other businessmans in an arms-length
transaction:
An attorney has a special responsibility to maintain the
highest standards of conduct and fair dealing when
contracting with a client or otherwise taking a position
adverse to the client's interests. To place the burden of
clarifying attorney-client agreements on the attorney is
justified, not only by the attorney's greater knowledge
and experience with respect to such agreements, but also
by the trust the client has placed in the attorney.
Id. at 528 (citations omitted). The court further held that the
provisions enforcement would be unreasonable or unjust given the
circumstances. The contract contemplated representation of a North
Carolina company in that state, by an attorney who, although
located in Texas, was licensed to practice in North Carolina. Id.
at 530.
Here, no attorney from ACDG explained the contract to the
plaintiffs. In fact, assuming it felt it had any such duty, it
appears that the firm delegated that responsibility to its nonattorney Case Manager, Terry. Even he, however, did not explain

14

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what the choice of law and venue provisions would mean in the event
of a dispute.
The defendants rely on the following language near the end of
their contract with the plaintiffs to establish that any failure to
understand the agreement is the clients responsibility:
Please read this agreement carefully. It is important
that our agreement be totally complete and that the
undersigned understands everything before signing. If you
have any questions regarding this agreement now is the
time to ask. Once this agreement has been signed it will
be concluded that the undersigned completely understands
it.
(Dkt. 4-2 at 2. (emphasis in orginal).) A lawyer is free to draft
such exculpatory language for a client, but not to shield himself
with the legal fiction that, by signing a document, his client
actually understands each provision. He cannot disclaim his burden
to explain the agreement to the lay client.
The defendants urge the Court to interpret this contract as it
would any other agreement to provide services. To do so, however,
would ignore both the inherently unequal nature of the parties
positions and the duty of a lawyer to ensure his client understands
the

terms

Partipilo,
reasonably

of
and

the

prospective

Terry

failed

communicate

the

in

representation.
this

forum

15

duty,

selection

Because
they

ACDG,

failed

clause

to

to
the

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plaintiffs.

Caperton,

679

S.E.2d

at

236.

Accordingly,

the

plaintiffs are not bound by its terms.

E. The clause violates West Virginia public policy.

Even

if

the

clause

had

been

adequately

explained,

the

agreement as written would preclude West Virginia courts from

supervising and sanctioning the conduct of attorneys practicing law
within the state. To condone such evasion would substantially
undermine

this

states

ability

to

protect

its

citizens

from

unscrupulous interlopers promising unrealistic results.

In order to protect the public from being advised and
represented in legal matters by unqualified and
undisciplined persons over whom the courts could exercise
little, if any, control, only duly-licensed persons
meeting the qualifications for admission to the bar
established by this Court are permitted to practice law
in this State.
State ex rel. Frieson v. Isner, 285 S.E.2d 641, 650 (W.Va. 1981);
see

also

Bates

v.

State

Bar

of

Arizona,

433

U.S.

350,

361

(1977)([T]he regulation of the activities of the bar is at the

core of the State's power to protect the public.). Although ACDG
never properly sought pro hac vice admission in the circuit court,
all practice of law, whether authorized or not,9 is subject to the

ACDG and Partipilo may have additionally violated W. Va. Code

30-2-4 (unauthorized practice of law).
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oversight of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, both
directly and through the West Virginia State Bar,10 and must comply
with the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct. Although the
defendants argue strenuously that this action has no relation to
the Supreme Courts authority to regulate the bar, the right of a
private individual to seek redress for inadequate representation
constitutes

an

important

part

of

multifaceted

statutory,

administrative and judicial scheme regulating attorneys. Cf. W. Va.

State Bar v. Earley, 109 S.E.2d. 420, 429 (W. Va. 1959)(criminal
penalties for unauthorized practice of law supplement, but do not
replace, courts equitable power to enjoin such practice).
In Delaware CWC Liquidation Corp. v. Martin, 584 S.E.2d 473
(W. Va. 2003), the Supreme Court held that a clients assignment of
a legal malpractice claim against his attorney is contrary to
public policy and void as a matter of law. Most courts view the
unique personal nature of the relationship between an attorney and
his client to be the most compelling public policy reason for

10

The official Bar is a legislative creation within the

province of the Supreme Court in its administrative capacity. W.
Va. Code 51-1-4a. [T]he West Virginia State Bar, as an
administrative arm of the Supreme Court of Appeals, is subject to
the exclusive control and supervision of the Supreme Court of
Appeals[.] Daily Gazette Co. v. Committee on Legal Ethics, 326
S.E.2d. 705 (W. Va. 1984).
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prohibiting the assignment of legal malpractice claims. Id. at 477
(citing, inter alia, MNC Credit Corp. v. Sickels, 497 S.E.2d 331,
334

(Va.

1998)(prohibiting

such

assignments

safeguards

the

attorney-client relationship which is an indispensable component of

our adversarial system of justice)). The Supreme Court noted that
one of its unique functions involves the regulation of that special
relationship. Delaware CWC Liquidation Corp., 584 S.E.2d at 478
(Therefore, in considering whether legal malpractice claims should
be assignable, this Court is ever mindful of its role in ensuring
that the sanctity of this confidential relationship is preserved
and protected.); see also Sheetz, Inc. v. Bowles Rice McDavid
Graff & Love, PLLC, 547 S.E.2d 256 (W.Va. 2001)(answering certified
questions from this Court in attorney malpractice case).
The state Supreme Courts responsibility and authority in this
area has both constitutional and ancient underpinnings. In Frieson,
Justice McGraw traced the courts inherent power to regulate the
bar from its common-law sources:
In the English tradition, control over the bar became
vested in the courts by improvisation rather than by
design. Courts were the sole determiners of who would
appear before them as attorneys, that is, as agents for
others and officers of the court. In 1292, Edward I
directed the judges of the Common Bench to select
approximately 140 men to follow the court, leaving the
exact number to their good judgment. In 1403, judges were
instructed to examine all attorneys and appoint only
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qualified men to appear before them, while those guilty
of improper conduct were disqualified. Similar provisions
for the delegation of the power to discipline and admit
to practice were made throughout English judicial
history.
. . .
American courts adopted the customary practice of the
English judiciary in exercising control over the practice
of law. The traditional power began to be interpreted as
inherent in the judiciary based on immemorial custom and
what the courts interpreted as the practical necessities
of
the
trichotomous
separation
of
powers.
The
constitutional division of powers was not part of the
English constitution, making the English judiciary's
traditional control over the bar to be of limited
relevance in this country. On this basis the American
courts claimed that matters naturally within the orbit of
a particular department of government were inherently
subject to the authority of that department unless
limited by the existence of a similar power in another
department or by express constitutional provision. Thus,
historical tradition decided that the power to regulate
the practice of law was one naturally within the orbit of
the judiciary as necessary to its survival and therefore
an inherent power.
Frieson, 285 S.E.2d at 648 n. 1 (citations omitted). More recently,
the framers of the Constitution of the State of West Virginia
expressly imbued the Supreme Court with the indisputable and
exclusive authority to define, regulate and control the practice of
law in West Virginia. Id. at 648 (citing Stern Bros. Inc. v.
McClure, 236 S.E.2d 222 (1977); W. Va. Const. art. 8, 3); see
also W. Va. Code 51-1-4a (The inherent rule-making power of the
supreme court of appeals is hereby declared.).
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MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS

This Court must consider the public policy of West Virginia as
interpreted by the Supreme Court of Appeals. Applying the policies
set forth by that body, any attorney willing to undertake to
represent a criminal defendant in West Virginia must make himself
available to answer for his actions, or inaction, in the courts of
this state, whether in the context of a disciplinary proceeding or
in a civil suit to be tried before a jury of West Virginia
citizens.
The Court need not hold in this case that a forum selection
clause in an attorney-client contract could never be enforced. In
a commercial or otherwise sophisticated contract, perhaps involving
representation in multiple jurisdictions or no appearance in a West
Virginia court, the parties might reasonably agree to resolve any
disputes in a different arena. See, e.g., XR Co. v. Block &
Balestri, P.C., 44 F.Supp.2d 1296 (S.D.Fla. 1999)(upholding forum
selection clause drafted by Texas law firm in suit by Florida
corporation regarding firms representation during corporations
acquisition of publicly traded company).11

11

Cf. Delaware CWC Liquidation Corp., 584 S.E.2d at 479

(Although a minority of jurisdictions permit malpractice action
assignments in some commercial contexts, the Court declined to
distinguish between types of representation, holding simply that
assignments of legal malpractice claims violated the public policy
of the state).
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MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS

In Ginter ex rel. Ballard v. Belcher, Prendergast & Laporte,
536 F.3d 439 (5th Cir. 2008), the Fifth Circuit upheld a forum
selection clause in an attorney-client agreement related to the
adoption, by South Carolina citizens, of a child born in Louisiana.
In that case, however, the Louisiana attorney persuasively argued
that the birth, adoption, and related legal proceedings necessarily
took place in Louisiana.12
Here, ACDG and its agents agreed to represent Lael Brown in a
criminal

matter

in

West

Virginia.

This

undertaking

is

of

constitutional dimensions and implicates a core function of the

judicial system, the provision of effective representation to all
charged with criminal conduct. See Rule 44, Right to and Assignment
of

Counsel,

W.

Va.

Rules

of

Criminal

Procedure

(1981,

as

amended)(implementing Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)).

Just as allowing the assignment of malpractice actions violates the
public policy of this State, so too would allowing an attorney to
avoid the scrutiny of West Virginias courts after purporting to
provide this type of representation.

12

The Ginter Court rejected the argument, also advanced by the

plaintiffs in this case, that a forum selection clause operates as
an impermissible limitation on a lawyers liability. The Court
agrees that merely designating an alternative forum for resolution
of a malpractice claim does not violate this prohibition.
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MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS

CONCLUSION
To enforce the forum selection clause in this case would allow
a California attorney, his law firm, and its agents to engage in
the practice of law in West Virginia and receive a fee without
explaining their contract to their clients, and without entering a
proper appearance in a criminal proceeding. They seek to avoid ever
facing a West Virginia judge or jury to answer allegations of
fraud, malpractice, and breach of contract. The enforcement of such
a provision in this context would violate the strong public policy
of West Virginia holding all attorneys who practice in this state
accountable for their professional actions. Accordingly, the Court
DENIES the motion to dismiss.13
It is so ORDERED.

13

At least one non-resident defendant unsuccessfully persisted

in attempting to avoid the West Virginia courts even after its
forum selection clause was declared unenforceable. In Woodmen of
the World Life Ins. Soc. v. Yelich, 549 N.W.2d 172 (Neb. 1996), an
insurance company had moved to dismiss a wrongful termination suit
filed against it in a West Virginia circuit court. That court,
applying Nebraska law, denied the motion, holding that the forum
selection clause was unreasonable. Undeterred, the insurance
company filed a declaratory judgment action in Nebraska, seeking a
ruling that the clause was, on the contrary, valid and enforceable.
The Supreme Court of Nebraska held that this attempt to circumvent
a potentially unfavorable ruling was impermissible where the West
Virginia court had already ruled on the question at issue in the
declaratory judgment action. Id. at 176.
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MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS

The Court directs the Clerk to transmit copies of this Order
to counsel of record.
DATED: October 8, 2010.
/s/ Irene M. Keeley
IRENE M. KEELEY
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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